The SHANARRI Included indicator focuses on ensuring that every child and young person feels part of their family, school and wider community. It recognises that belonging is essential to wellbeing and that barriers to inclusion can have a lasting impact on outcomes.
For professionals, Included is about more than access. It is about creating environments where young people feel accepted, valued and able to participate fully.
What Included Means in Practice
Within SHANARRI, Included includes:
- Feeling part of a community
- Having equal access to opportunities
- Overcoming barriers linked to inequality
- Being supported to participate in everyday life
This applies across education, residential care and community settings, where young people should be able to engage without feeling excluded or marginalised.
The Reality of Exclusion in Scotland
Data across Scotland highlights ongoing challenges around exclusion, particularly for looked-after children and those with additional support needs.
These may include:
- Higher rates of school exclusion
- Limited access to opportunities
- Social isolation or lack of belonging
- Barriers linked to poverty, disability or cultural background
These factors can affect both wellbeing and long-term outcomes, making inclusion a key priority for professionals.
Creating Inclusive Environments
Supporting inclusion requires a proactive approach. It is not enough to provide access. Organisations must create environments where young people feel genuinely accepted.
This involves:
- Promoting positive relationships and peer support
- Addressing barriers to participation
- Recognising and valuing diversity
- Ensuring that all voices are heard
In residential care, this also means helping young people feel part of their home environment and connected to the wider community.
Recording and Evidencing Inclusion
Capturing inclusion can be challenging, as it often relates to feelings of belonging and participation rather than specific events.
When recorded inconsistently, it can be difficult to demonstrate how organisations are supporting inclusion in practice.
Geco Connect helps address this by organising observations related to inclusion within the SHANARRI framework. This allows professionals to track participation, identify barriers and evidence how young people are being supported to feel included.
Supporting Long-Term Outcomes
Inclusion is closely linked to other SHANARRI indicators, including Respected, Active and Achieving. When young people feel included, they are more likely to engage in learning, build relationships and develop confidence.
Supporting this requires:
- Consistent practice across teams
- Clear communication between professionals
- A focus on removing barriers
- Ongoing monitoring of participation and wellbeing
When inclusion is prioritised, young people are better supported to develop a sense of belonging and achieve positive outcomes.
See SHANARRI in Practice
If you would like to see how organisations are supporting and evidencing inclusion through the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators, Geco Connect can help.
Book a demo to see how it works in practice.